[skamp]

Read some site today where a guy was recommending to sand the inside edge and outside edge of your cd's to reduce light reflections.  He went further to color the edges black and drawn 6 lines edge to edge across the top and de-magnetized his discs.  Seems he was very pleased with his results and does this to all of his CD's.  Heh.  I almost exclusively buy used CD's but would throw up all over myself if I bought one of these.

 

[noahbickart]

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Ya, by the way. Different bran of CD-R sounds different too. If you use a normal quality data CD-R will make the APE file sound like MP3 while playback. Only using good quality CD-R that specifically made for audio purpose will deliver good results.

This is so true! And because Digital Music is just data, this is true for everything I burn to optical media!
 
I once burned some .txt files of recipes for friends on CDs. I gave my mom the recipe on an audiophile blank disc, and the rest on cheap ones. My mom's cake was much tastier, I could barely stand the cake my dad made.
 
Once I burned a paper for my professor on a cheap disc. He could read the .doc file no problem, but he gave me a "B." Next time I burned my paper onto an audiophile CD, and I got an "A!"
 
This is proof that difference brands of Optical media are really important.

 

[jaddie]

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This is so true! And because Digital Music is just data, this is true for everything I burn to optical media!
 
I once burned some .txt files of recipes for friends on CDs. I gave my mom the recipe on an audiophile blank disc, and the rest on cheap ones. My mom's cake was much tastier, I could barely stand the cake my dad made.
 
Once I burned a paper for my professor on a cheap disc. He could read the .doc file no problem, but he gave me a "B." Next time I burned my paper onto an audiophile CD, and I got an "A!"
 
This is proof that difference brands of Optical media are really important.

Stop...stop! You're killing me!

 

[omegalau]

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This is so true! And because Digital Music is just data, this is true for everything I burn to optical media!
 
I once burned some .txt files of recipes for friends on CDs. I gave my mom the recipe on an audiophile blank disc, and the rest on cheap ones. My mom's cake was much tastier, I could barely stand the cake my dad made.
 
Once I burned a paper for my professor on a cheap disc. He could read the .doc file no problem, but he gave me a "B." Next time I burned my paper onto an audiophile CD, and I got an "A!"
 
This is proof that difference brands of Optical media are really important.

 
What are you trying to say, actually? I don't get you. is it just being sarcastic?

 

[omegalau]

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There are too many variables. If you want to find out what's going on you need to provide details:
- which CD drive
- is digital/analog out used for CD audio playback or just a normal audio player application
- what application was used to play the CD/files
- how were the ape files created, why not use FLAC
- how did you compare CD/files
....
 
What I find ridiculous is when you claim different CD-R brands sound different. But that's just another variable so I suggest to use the original pressed CD for the comparison.

 
Basically I tried on different system whenever i got chance too. on diff PCs, laptops, and even car audio for diff CD-R quality. I am amaze that everytime the result turn out the same. So if you ask about which CD drive, I don't know how to answer since there're quite some that i tried.
 
About the second question, on laptop I do not know what signal it used, but on PC only analog is connected.
 
We always use the same player to play CD/files, example, if its WAV, we use window media player to play and for the CD-R too. if its APE, I use thunder to play to file/CD-R. For different CD-R quality brunt, we just using the same CD player to play it in house or in automobile. ( different CD-R quality can sound VERY different in my car audio, I am using alpine 7998r HU, with S634 cd changer, precision power 1000.4 amp and MOQ speakers )
 
I download those APE and WAV files online, didn't have much FLAC experience because didn't favour by the place where i pay to download.
 
How did I compare? Take there's one session in my friend's house for example. A day he bought a new home theather system. We decide to try out his system. I use his dell laptop to play WAV file by using window media player, listen for awhile, then we use window media player to play the CD-R which brunt from the same WAV file again. After that he even ask me why the CD-R sound better? because it puzzled he too.
 
Seriously if you are living somewhere around me I would welcome to have you sit in my car, I can play you different brand CD-R and sure you can tell the difference over the same song. Just the matter of which one you prefer. But I sure you won't pick the lowest quality CD-R, even without telling you which CD-R I have in my changer it is. Then you'll find that actually it's a fact although theoritically is should be the same since its only 110001111001000000.....

 

[ultrabike]

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What are you trying to say, actually? I don't get you. is it just being sarcastic?

 
He is just giving a subjective opinion based on experience and results.

 

[ultrabike]

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Basically I tried on different system whenever i got chance too. on diff PCs, laptops, and even car audio for diff CD-R quality. I am amaze that everytime the result turn out the same. So if you ask about which CD drive, I don't know how to answer since there're quite some that i tried.
 
About the second question, on laptop I do not know what signal it used, but on PC only analog is connected.
 
We always use the same player to play CD/files, example, if its WAV, we use window media player to play and for the CD-R too. if its APE, I use thunder to play to file/CD-R. For different CD-R quality brunt, we just using the same CD player to play it in house or in automobile. ( different CD-R quality can sound VERY different in my car audio, I am using alpine 7998r HU, with S634 cd changer, precision power 1000.4 amp and MOQ speakers )
 
I download those APE and WAV files online, didn't have much FLAC experience because didn't favour by the place where i pay to download.
 
How did I compare? Take there's one session in my friend's house for example. A day he bought a new home theather system. We decide to try out his system. I use his dell laptop to play WAV file by using window media player, listen for awhile, then we use window media player to play the CD-R which brunt from the same WAV file again. After that he even ask me why the CD-R sound better? because it puzzled he too.

 
CD-R WAV sounded better than WAV file in what sense? Better how?

 

[skamp]

I download those APE and WAV files online, didn't have much FLAC experience because didn't favour by the place where i pay to download.

What store sells APE files??

 

[omegalau]

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CD-R WAV sounded better than WAV file in what sense? Better how?

 
When I brunt WAV into audio CD, it is no longer a WAV. Compare to original WAV files, those cda files in CD-R sound better with more depth in field. Those instruments sound more crisp, more precise. The vocal stands out further from those instruments, reaching closer to you where those vocal accompaniment still stays behind. Seriously i don't know how to put those "better how" in words. My english is not better than my ear

 

[omegalau]

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What store sells APE files??

 
Try KUWO if you interested. not every song available for APE though... but you need to read chinese, and have some friend in china to pay for your credit. However you can download a few for free at trial period

 

[chewy4]

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When I brunt WAV into audio CD, it is no longer a WAV.

 
It pretty much is.
 
WAV is just PCM data with a wrapper.
 
Redbook CD audio is also just PCM data. And some data saying when each track starts.

 

[omegalau]

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It pretty much is.
 
WAV is just PCM data with a wrapper.
 
Redbook CD audio is also just PCM data. And some data saying when each track starts.

 
hmm.... seriously i think is the analog output at the rear of CD-R making the difference... any CD/DVD ROM expert or engineer here?

 

[ultrabike]

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When I brunt WAV into audio CD, it is no longer a WAV. Compare to original WAV files, those cda files in CD-R sound better with more depth in field. Those instruments sound more crisp, more precise. The vocal stands out further from those instruments, reaching closer to you where those vocal accompaniment still stays behind. Seriously i don't know how to put those "better how" in words. My english is not better than my ear

 
AFAIK .cda files do not contain audio data in the CD media, just start and end indexes (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-cda-file.htm)
 
Also, binary information written to a CD is not of the 1's and 0's form if you want to go down the path of details. Each CD vendor recommends a different "write strategy." This is vendor media and writing speed dependent. The strategy dictates the laser power used, and it can be different depending on the number of consecutive 1's and 0's. If I remember correctly, I think the 1's and 0's are run length encoded before being written. Not all burners support all "write strategies"/write speeds. Newer ones have a better chance at multiple support. This is not just something I read out of wikipedia, I briefly worked on this crap some years ago (laser driver control) but I'm not current on it (working on some other crap right now.) Reading is easier because if I remember correctly, a constant (and lower) laser power is needed, but the power might vary from CD type and vendor-to-vendor... Again, I can't remember all the details.
 
The signal processor of a CD player - which may be a fairly elaborate full receiver with adaptive equalization and powerful error correction schemes (sold and ridiculously low amounts of $ due to volume sales and competition) - will recover PCM digital 1's and 0's. I think SIMILAR could be said about reading a magnetic Harddrive.
 
Either way, the PCM stream resulting from reading your CD player and your HD (which I think - don't remember well - also uses run length encoding, equalization, precise timing, error correction and so on stuff) should look identical when presented to the same DAC... Assuming your computer doesn't do some magical Mickey-soft driver dependent stuff... Like my HP laptop craptastic Beats (the crap out of my) audio, which I have a hard time turning off.
 
You are also describing differences that are typically a result of mastering, digital signal path equalization, and analog/acoustic signal path coloration... and equailzation. All of which do not get impacted by the storage format... at all AFAIK.
 
If you hear these differences, more power to you, but my 2 cents here are that I have not heard these differences you are describing between my ripped files and my original music CDs (and DVD/BR movies) when megacrap drivers don't get in the way. Nor can I explain why in particular you might be perceiving an improvement in sound quality when using a CD-R file vs. an HD file. But I may just be overlooking something... Dunno.
 
(EDIT: CDs are not run length coded, but run length limited coded... like I said, it's been some time.)

 

[noahbickart]

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What are you trying to say, actually? I don't get you. is it just being sarcastic?

I'm trying to show how totally ridiculous people who claim that 16bit 44.1kHz CDs sound different from 16bit 44.1kHz FLAC files when played through the same DAC are! Or how totally crazy people sound when they write that the brand of CD-R data discs changes the sound (not the longevity of the files, etc- which I readily agree).
 
You might hear a difference. But, as has been stated many times before, the reasons for this are likely one or the other of the following:
 
1. Something is wrong with the way you have set up your computer to play FLACs
 
2. Your mind is playing tricks on you, something an ABX test easily demonstrates. 
 
From the perspective of the DAC's input- the CD's data and the FLAC's data are perfect clones of one another. There is no difference to hear. 
 
If you want to throw money at making your music sound better, the best places to start are the rooms the recording and listening take place in, and the transducers used to capture (e.g. microphones) and reproduce (speakers, headphones) the sound.

 

[chewy4]

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hmm.... seriously i think is the analog output at the rear of CD-R making the difference... any CD/DVD ROM expert or engineer here?

If you are using two separate audio outputs that could possibly explain a difference.
 
This would mean that you are using two different DACs which could have completely different specs. Even different levels of amplification. I've never heard of a laptop like that though, what kind do you have?